Helpful, practical advice for feeding wild birds through the seasons

Winter tips

Natural food supplies are starting to diminish so you should increase the supply of food available, particularly during spells of cold or wet weather.

With the arrival of colder weather the birds need additional calories to allow them to build up their fat reserves and energy levels. Now is a good time to feed high calorie fat products, such as RSPB Peanut Cakes, or other high energy foods such as Hi-Energy Seed, Hi-Energy No Mess, Sunflower Hearts, or Peanuts.

During spells of freezing weather, it is even more important to provide a regular supply of water for the birds and you should keep your birdbath free of ice using warm water.

As the days are short and the nights are long, the first and last hours of daylight are important feeding times for the birds - you should therefore avoid cleaning or disturbing the feeding area at these times.